cancer,andevencertainaspectsoftheagingprocess.
Themosthealthfulironsourcesarethesamefoodsthatbringyoucalcium:
beansandgreenleafyvegetables.Theyarerichinironbutcarryitinaspecial
formcallednon-hemeiron.Yourbodyeasilyabsorbsthisformwhenit’sinneed
ofmoreiron,buttheironpassesharmlesslyoutofthebodywhenyouhaveall
youneed.Incontrast,meatscontainhemeiron,whichislikeanuninvitedguest
atyourparty:Itbargesinwhetheryouneeditornot.Overthelongrun,meat
eaterstendtoaccumulatetoomuchiron.
Ifyouareanemic,donotrushoutandbuyironsupplements,orworse,add
lotsofmeattoyourdiet.Instead,workwithyourdoctortofindoutwhatkindof
anemiayouhaveandwhyitoccurred.Anemiacanbeasignofkidneydisease;it
can be caused by certain drugs; and it can be a sign of blood loss from your
digestive tract caused by gastrointestinal irritation or even colon cancer. It is
essentialthatyoubeevaluatedandtreatedappropriately.
If you do need extra iron, turn first to greens and beans. Vitamin C–rich
foods, such as fruits and vegetables, increase the absorption of iron from the
otherfoodsyoueat,andavoidingdairyproductshelps,too.Theyareverylowin
ironandactuallyreduceitsabsorptionfromyourdigestivetract.
Zinc. Zinc plays important roles in immune function, wound healing, and
manyotherbiologicalfunctions,butaswithiron,you canhavetoomuchof a
good thing. The most healthful sources include legumes, nuts, and fortified
breakfastcereals(e.g.,PostGrape-Nuts,branflakes,andgranola).
Fat.Goodfats,badfats,andtoomuchfat—howdowemakesenseofitall?
The most important fat fact is this: Your body’s actual fat requirement is
minuscule,asyousawearlier.MostpeopleinWesterncountriesgetmanytimes
theneededamount.Withmeatsanddairyproductsfrontandcenterintheirdiets,
theynotonlygettoomuchfatoverall,theyalsogetthewrongkind—saturated
fat,whichboostscholesterolandaggravatesinsulinresistance.
Nuts,seeds,avocados,olives,andfull-fatsoyproductsarealsohighinfat.
Although they are low in saturated fat, the overall amount is high, and you
shouldlimitthesefoodsaccordingly.
Asyoualsosawearlier,mostvegetables,fruits,andbeanscontainverylittle
fat,andwhattheydohaveisahealthfulmixture,includingtracesoftheessential
fatsalpha-linolenicacidandlinoleicacid.
If, for any medical reason, you are increasing your oil intake, healthful
sources of omega-3 fats include walnuts, soy products, flaxseed, and, in
concentratedform,flax,linseed,canola,andwalnutoils.Healthfoodstoreseven
sell omega-3 supplements (e.g., DHA) drawn entirely from botanical sources.
Theyareabetterchoicethanfishoils.Omega-6oilsarealsosometimesusedfor